Heaven 1 Pet. 1. 5 What strivings have some to obtain a Crown that is corruptible and shall I be weary that am in pursuit of one that is incorruptible 1 Cor. 9. 25. without labour no rest without bearing the heat and burden of the day when called thereto no penny at the end Matt. 20. 12 13. without striving lawfully no crowning 2 Tim. 2. 5. without doing the commandment no eating of the tree of life Rev. 22. 14. without enduring to the end no salvation Mark 13. 13. comfort your selves with this that Heaven will make amends for all when your wet and weary sowings shall end in a pleasant and eternal harvest Gal. 16. 9. Let us not be weary in well doing for you shall reap in due time if ye faint not Be stedfast unmovable always abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15. 58. Direct 7. Lastly What you do do quickly Time waits not your leisure There are but twelve hours in the day and how many of them have been slept and sinned away and how few of them may be before you who knows What if your Sun should set at noon day or a summons meet you in the midst of your work Give account of thy Stewardship for thou shalt be no longer Steward Luke 16. 2. What will you then do Some of you are in your afternoon what time is that to set forth such a long journey as the way to Heaven is and yet will you gain by your delays some of this time also for the Devil World and Flesh others of you are in your morning the best time to put forth in your travel towards glory O! lose not your season for eternity Make much of time saith Aquinas especially in the weighty matter of Salvation O! how much would they that now lie frying in Hell rejoyce if they might have the least minute of time wherein they might get God's favour the young man hath death at his back the old man before his eyes and that 's the more dangerous enemy that pursues thee than that which marches up to thy face Christ's work admits of no delays his injunction allows not of too morrow but while 't is called to day Heb. 3. 7. To day if you will hear his voice vers 13. To day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulness of sin Seek the Lord while he may be found Isa 55. 6. Haste haste the tide will not bide Rutherford 'T is now or never while the Light shines the Lord knocks the Angel moves on the waters while the Lord delays his coming Salvation-work is quick work God's racers must run his Doves must fly his Servants be diligent that they may be found of him in peace 1 Cor. 9. 26. Isa 60. 8. 2 Pet. 3. 14. You that have stood idle in the market-place all your day hitherto hasten into the Lord's Vineyard Matt. 20. 6. Love is sick to hear tell of to morrow Mr. Rutherford What Jonathan said to his Lad when David's life was in danger let me advise you And Jonathan cried after the Lad make speed haste stay not 1 Sam. 20. 38. I rue nothing said precious Mr. The fulfilling of the Scriptures Welch when on his sick-bed but that I was so long in beginning O saith David that I had wings like a Dove for then would I fly away and be at rest I would hasten my escape from the stormy wind and Tempest Psal 55. 6 8. Sinners you are in danger of stormy tempests while in your unchanged state O hasten to your strong holds ye prisoners of hope When Brentius was like to be given up to the enemy one writes him this note Fuge Brenti cito citius citissime Fly Brentius quickly more quickly most speedily Souls 't is for your lives make all possible haste about the work of your Salvation And you that are entred on this heavenly work double your diligence that you may finish your course before God finishes your time methinks the word of God and his providences this day yea every thing seems to thrust you forward and do to you as Pharaoh's Task-masters did to Israel Exod. 5. 13. And the Task-masters hasted them saying fulfil your work To Professors Counsel 2. Secondly if the Heavenly Trade be the best Trade then you that profess this Calling be you exhorted to follow it keep up and improve your Trade for Heaven what 's an employment without improvement the most profitable Calling not followed turns to little advantage The day we live in gives men sensible experience of this truth that they who intend to live in the World must attend their employments The idle person suffers hunger they must be careful and diligent in their business that think to make any thing of their earthly interests and so 't is in this Trade of godliness they that will be saved must work out their Salvation A Trade is a man's business and course of life which he pursues and carries on from day to day 't is the subject of his thoughts counsels and considerations of his time and strength and daily work where he ends one day he begins the next and contributes his utmost wisdom parts and labours to the most vigorous prosecution of it And so must it be in this Heavenly Trade Christians it must be the impending business and principal concern of your whole life that which commands your thoughts purposes and capacities which engrosses your time care and strength and to which every other business must give way and every occasion and occurrence must be subservient it must be followed and driven on every day in every thing place and company what-ever is neglected that must go on and give no place to intermissions no not for a moment You must not say to godliness as Felix did to Paul Go thy way for this time when I have a more convenient season I will send for thee Acts 24. 25. Stops in the way of God are not easily recovered one days neglect brings all out of order Prosperity in Religion admits of no Parenthesis in its work or consists with allowed interruptions Piety must be as the blood that runs through every vein of your life and affair in the World In eating drinking talking thinking buying selling you must be still driving on Wisdom's Merchandise Christians follow your work or lay down your Trade 't is vanity yea the way to beggery to profess a Calling and not pusue it Quest But wherein lies this Heavenly Trade which I must so make my business what do you drive at by all these Arguments for Heavenly Trading What I intend by this metaphor I shall open to you under these seven general Heads as the main duty of a Christian and to be carried on in the whole course of his life 1 To have and keep up a heavenly spirit 2 To secure your interest in heavenly things 3 To get in more
God fares deliciously in his soul feeding on marrow and hidden manna that he or she is greatly beloved of God Thy lot O soul is fal'n in a peculiar plot of mercies ground and should not the Lord Jesus be admir'd of such a one seeing he is come to him in the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel O bless God for this unspeakable gift Thirdly 'T is an earnest of eternal mercy They that sow to the spirit shall reap life everlasting Gal. 6. 8. And such as abound in holiness shall have an abundant entrance administred to them into the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour 2 Tet. 1. 11. God will never throw away savoury salt to the dunghil nor burn up fruitful branches Trees full of sap are the Lord's trees which he will transplant into his Paradise above Psal 104. 16. The Lord 's ripe fruit shall be gathered not shaken on the ground and safely hous'd in Heaven Grace is too precious seed to be lost Such as sow it now though in tears shall surely come again and bring their sheaves with them Psal 126. 5. Poor troubled Soul God will not despise the day of thy small things much less thy soulenlargements after him he will be tender of thy smallest blossoms and secure them into fruit much more shall thy encreases arrive to the fulness of the measure of the stature of Christ Eph. 4. 15. God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love which you have shewn towards his name Heb. 6. 10. It may be thou hast forgotten many a duty and hearty testimony of thy love to Christ his name people and ways and canst see nothing in all thou hast done but art ready to say on every turn When saw I thee an hunger'd and fed thee or thirsty and gave thee drink when saw I thee a stranger and took thee in or naked and clothed thee or sick and in prison and came to thee Matth. 25. 35. But God cannot be so unrighteous to forget it or let it pass so but keeps a record of all thy meanest duties and will make the most of them in the day of righteous judgment I know thy works and thy labours and thy patience c. Rev. 2. 2. When thou wast under the Fig-tree I saw thee Joh. 1. 48. He takes notice of a Daniel by the river Hiddekel of a Peter on the house-top of Elijah under the Juniper-tree 1 King 19. 4 5. yea of what was but in David's heart to do and requites it 8 King 8. 18. Will not an Ahasuerus let the good deeds of Mordecai go unrewarded and shall not the Judg of all the Earth do right and crown the works of his own hands Your labours shall not be in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15. 58. O then be blessing God for the least good he hath wrought in you and for you for any prosperity in your souls There are no offerings come up with that acceptance on God's Altar as thanksgiving-offerings Psal 69. 30 31. What a delightful remark did the Lord Jesus put upon the Lepers return to praise him for cleansing Luke 17. 18. the more spiritual the more rejoyeing Isa 52. 8. No such thriving souls as God-praising souls Jer. 31. 12. Therefore they shall come and sing in the heighth of Sion and shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord for Wheat and for Wine and for Oil and their soul shall be as a watred Garden and they shall not sorrow any more at all Quest How might I know whether I have good trading in Spirituals or no that I might have ground for rejoycing in God Could I find this soul-welfare you speak of I should bless God with my whole soul but I fear 't is otherwise that I am one of those who fall back and decay in my heavenly Trade Sol. There are seven signs of good Trading especially in evil times which men usually reckon to be discoveries of a thriving Trade First When men go not back in the World but hold their own they lose nothing 'T is much in bad times to keep ones ground to be savers in such a season is a piece of gain Try in this how 't is with you do not you go back in your spiritual estate is it not worse with you than heretofore Is not your faith love humility patience less than heretofore If you go not back in grace you go forward there 's no standing at a stay in Religion men go forward or backward in the way of Vertue they that do not decay do thrive in Spirituals Job proves his good estate by his standing fast in shaking times Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lip I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food My foot hath held his steps his way have I kept and not declined Job 23. 10 11 12. and thence concludes a gainful issue When he hath tried me I shall come forth as Gold And the Apostle reckons it good profit in soul-conflicts to stand ones ground if he cannot gain yet not to lose But having done all to stand is victory Eph. 6. 13. Christians have their winter-seasons when growing is not visible then to keep alive is commendable Do you hold fast your integrity and keep your garments on Do you preserve your conscience pure from the defilements and temptations of the day and place you live in and your hearts unspotted from the World your desires as warm your purposes of cleaving to God as firm and your feet as quick to run the way of God's commandments as heretofore then have you good trading considering the times you live in which is an hour of temptation and an evening of darkness Secondly If wares go off well 't is good trading when goods vend at a good rate men count it thriving Is it so with your souls do your prayers come up to God with acceptance do duties turn to any profit to you what returns have you of your religious services do hearing prayer conference bring you any soul-advantage do not goods lie by you undisposed of but your graces are exercised your talents gifts opportunities improv'd then 't is good Trading If the Lord give you light you lay it out for the good of others if he restore to you the joy of his salvation and uphold you with his free Spirit you teach transgressours his waies and endeavour to convert sinners to him Psal 51. 12 13. When God drops in comfort to you you pour it forth to others that they may be comforted also with the same comforts wherewith you are comforted of God 2 Cor. 1. 4. When you are come to duties publick or private do graces go out in them you shew parts it may be but do you lay out grace as well as gifts spiritual as well as natural affections Do you pray with the Spirit and hear with Faith do hope fear humility holy fervency heavenly breathings sincerity go off in your religions duties
satisfied till God be yours The King's Son or no Husband Rutherford The rational soul saith Augustine being capable of God can be satisfied with nothing but God Direct 4. Fourthly Come over into the family of Christ if you would drive on this Heavenly Trade to purpose Apprentices are houshold servants up-rising and down-lying and so must Wisdom's Traders be they must be members of Christ's family and dwellers in the house of God Psal 65. 4. Blessed is the man whom thou chusest and causest to approach unto thee that he may dwell in thy Courts we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house even of thy holy Temple Those whom God chuses for himself he brings to himself and makes them dwellers in his Courts Such In ejus familiam recensitus ut fide integra inter sanctos coeli cives vitam degat Buc. a one is entered into his family that he being a sound Believer may spend his life among the holy Citizens of Heaven Those whom the Lord takes into Covenant he takes into communion not onely with himself but with his people Jer. 3. 14 15. I am married unto you and I will take you one of a City and two of a Family and I will bring you unto Sion and I will give you Pastors according to my own heart which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding This was intended of Gospel-times and Churches When all the Nations shall be gathered to the Name of the Lord to Jerusalem verse 17. And the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel verse 18. which began to be fulfilled upon the breaking down of the partition wall and the bringing in of the Gentiles unto Christ Ephes 2. 14 15 19. When Believers should be no more strangers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and foreiners but fellow-citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God The Apostle hath reference to the 12th verse where souls out of Christ are said to be aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel strangers to the Covenant of Promise but now having access to God by one Spirit verse 18. Ye are no more strangers and foreiners a In respect of the Church of God you are no longer strangers saith Zanchy but fellow-citizens with the Saints and in regard of the Covenant of God you are no more foreiners but of the houshold of God In whom all the building fitly framed together that is every stone in the building groweth unto an holy Temple in the Lord verse 21. The Church of God is his Temple where he is rightly served Rev. 7. 15. Therefore are they before the Throne of God and serve him day and night in his Temple which is his Church saith Mr. Durham here begun by fellowship in his Ordinances and in f Respectu Reipublicae Israelis i. e. Ecclesiae concives sanctorum respectu foederis cum Deo esse domesticos Dei Heaven compleatly Ezek. 20. 40. For in my holy Mountain in the Mountain of the Height of Israel a type of Gospel-Churches saith the Lord God there shall all the house of Israel all of them in the Land serve me there will I accept them there will I require your offerings Plainly intimating that God hath no acceptable service but in the Churches of his Saints I mean as to publick worship Persons cannot give God his full instituted worship till they come into fellowship with his people seeing Church-fellowship is it self an institution of Christ Matth. 28. 19 20. Acts 2. 41 42. 1 Cor. 12. 28. Mat. 18. 17 18 19. The Church of Christ is his body where he hath set his members 1 Cor. 12. 18. That being fitly joyned together they might increase with the increase of God Ephes 4. 16. Col. 2. 19. His Vineyard where his work lies and into which he sends his Labourers Isa 5. 7. Matth. 20. 1 2. His Garden where his Lillies and Beds of Spices are Cant. 6. 2. His Family where he feeds and instructs them where he guides and governs them 1 Tim. 3. 15. Ephes 3. 15. His Sanctuary where he hides and secures them Psal 78. 69. His Galleries where he walks and is held by his Saints Cant. 7. 5. His Golden-candlesticks where his Lamps are burning The Firmament and Heaven where his Stars are shining and the Sun of Righteousness ariseth with healing in his wings Rev. 2. 1. There 's his Granary where he laies up his provisions his manna marrow fat things and spiced wine Isa 25. 6. There 's his School where he instructs his Disciples and makes them wise to salvation Isa 54. 13. All thy children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of thy children There are his Oracles and Secrets Rom. 3. 2. The Adoption the Glory the Covenants the giving of the Law and the Service of God and the Promises Rom. 9. 4. There 's his Nursery where his tender plants are set to grow where he brings in those that shall be saved Acts 2. 47. And the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved His converting the Gentiles is called a perswading them into the tents of Shem that is the Church of God Gen. 9. 27. Yea the House of God is the gate of Heaven Gen. 28. 17. This is none other but the House of God this is the gate of Heaven v Per portam Ecclesiae in portam Paradisi By the gate of the Church saith Augustine we enter into the gate of Paradise How goodly then are these Tents of Jacob How amiable are those Tabernacles of Israel As the valleys they spread forth as gardens by the Rivers side as the trees of Lign-aloes which the Lord hath planted and as Cedar-trees beside the waters Numb 24. 5 6. To your Tents then O Israel 2 Sam. 20. 1. Fly to your windows O ye Doves Isa 60. 8. Love the habitation of God's house and the place where his honour dwells Psal 26. 8. Where are such pleasures treasures light life where are your chiefest interests your priviledges your work your Lord the first-fruits of your eternal glory if you have taken Christ for your Teacher you must take his Church for your School you must dwell where he dwells where you may sit at his feet and receive his Doctrine Direct 5. Fifthly Be mortified to this present world get your hearts loose from things below No man that warreth a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tricis laqueis implicatur entangleth himself with the affairs of this life that he may please him that hath chosen him to be a souldier 2 Tim. 2. 4. He does not lay ties and snares about his feet which throw him down and hinder the course he engages to follow Christianity is a Warfare and Race earthly things in the heart are as entanglements about the feet which hinder this undertaking you will have no liberty to heavenly things till redeemed from the Earth nor can run the race towards glory till you lay aside the weights that
need of more grace as you have of bread for your bodies Your occasions temptations and work are spending and without fresh supplies from the Treasury you will soon be empty and impoverished Neglect but your spiritual recruits one day and you will feel it 'T is your interest if you are Traders to keep your shops full and to be often sending for more goods Grace will never lye long on your hands other goods may You will have still occasions to exercise grace in your dealings with God and men you can never be over-stor'd with Wisdom's wares 'T is your duty also to make use of Christ continually In every thing to make known your requests to him To draw waters out of this Well of Salvation every day He is a Fountain sealed for your use he is made of God to be wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption too for this end that they might live upon him to these ends This is to live by the Faith of the Son of God which is the Christians daily duty He complains as being injur'd when his people will not come unto him that they might have life Joh. 5. 40. He is troubled when his Children will not make use of him Hitherto you have asked nothing Ask and you shall receive that your joy may be full Joh. 16. 24. Never was a full breast more pain'd for want of drawing than the Lord Jesus is when his people receive not from him that fulness that is laid up in him for their use 'T is your advantage also to be often at Christ's door and to be continually fetching in supplies for your souls This is the way to grow rich apace to get in more and more of the unsearchable riches of Christ Rev. 3. 18. This is the way to be filled with the fruits of righteousness to be more throughly furnished unto all good works to the glory and praise of God 2 Tim. 3. 17. Phil. 1. 12. This is the way to do every thing better and to abound in the work of the Lord and to be more complete in all the will of God 1 Cor. 15. 58. Col. 4. 12. By this means you will become more serviceable unto others and useful in the place where you live and in the Societies where God hath placed you the more full of grace the more able to profit others Rom. 15. 14. That ye alwaies are full of goodness filled with all knowledge able also to admonish one another 2 Cor. 1. 4. That we may be able to comfort them with the same comforts wherewith we are comforted of God They that freely receive will be able freely to give and that 's a blessed thing Acts 20. 35. And till you receive you cannot give Christians get in more grace every day for your own use for the glory of God and the good of others Labour to be furnished with every grace especially those graces which the Lord hath more use of and the time condition and place you are in do more especially call for Heb. 12. 28. 2 Pet. 1. 5. Be sure to be well furnished with Faith that 's an useful grace at all times for we live by Faith Heb. 10. 38. but especially in evil times in times of temptation and affliction Faith is an eye a hand a foot at all times 't is a grace alwaies useful at every turn you cannot be without it and be well 't is a working grace and that 's good for Traders you cannot work without it 2 Thes 1. 4. A building grace Jude v. 3. 20. A nourishing grace 1 Tim. 4. 6. A soul-enriching grace Rom. 4. 12. A soul-strengthening grace Ephes 3. 16 17. But 't is especially needful in evil times it being a cheering grace Rom. 15. 13. 'T is a soul-keeping grace and that 's good in dangerous times 1 Pet. 1. 5. 'T is a soul-saving grace that saves in troubles and out of troubles Psal 27. 5. Jam. 5. 15. 'T is a heart-establishing grace 2 Chron. 20. 20. A world-contemning grace Heb. 11. 26. A world-conquering grace 1 Joh. 5. 4. A soul-securing grace Heb. 11. 23. By faith Moses was hid three months It secures a person in troubles 't is a breast-plate to preserve the heart 1 Thes 5. 8. And a shield to cover the head Ephes 6. 16. It leads a person through trouble Heb. 11. 29. By Faith they passed through the Red. Sea as by dry Land which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned O get in plenty of this precious unfeigned Faith for that 's the great trading-grace of a Christian for it gets in and laies out every grace Faith is the receiving grace it receives in Christ Eph. 3. 17. and it receives from Christ John 1. 16. Faith is the key that opens Christ's Treasures the hand that takes out his tryed gold Faith is the carrying and recarrying grace Faith comes up to the market-price and never breaks with God on terms but subscribes to all the demands of Christ and so never returns empty Christians you will never want goods for your Heavenly Trade if you can but keep Faith in exercise your shops will never be empty as long as Faith can stir up and down and keep up its Journeys to Heaven If there be any goods in the promises any wares in Heaven Faith will have them down as long as the soul needs them and it be for God's interest to part with them O then get faith Alas what pitiful Trade do some drive for want of Faith Choice goods will not off precious promises pertinent instructions perswasions and encouragements lye on Christ's hands for want of faith in them that hear Christians you will make nothing of Religion without Faith in the daies we live in you will soon shut up shop decay and break when troubles come to purpose without store of Faith Faith will fill your store-houses do your work put off your goods get in your rights pay your debts and maintain you richly on the incomes of your Trade Patience is another grace that will much serve you in your Spiritual Trade you have need of Patience to do the will of God no working without Patience 2 Cor. 12. 12. Truly the signs of an Apostle were wrought among you in all Patience Rom. 5. 4. Patience worketh experience Souls are apt to be weary of well doing without Patience and to tyre in running without this long-breath'd grace of Patience Heb. 12. 1. Let us run with Patience the race that is set before us No receiving the fruit of Ordinances and Duties without Patience Luke 8. 15. They on the good ground are they which in an honest and good heart having heard the Word keep it and bring forth fruit with Patience The Lord usually tries his peoples Patience before they come to the fruit of Pomises and bring forth the obedience of Precepts there 's a winter between seed-time and harvest many wet weeping daies between sowing and reaping ut enim segetem in agro pluvias nives glacies
before your enemies will down and more strokes at your work before your interests will come in Running striving wrestling in labours more abundant in weariness and painfulness in watchings What pains will men take for the World She riseth also while it is night Her candle goeth not out by night That neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes Ye compass Sea and Land and should they not much more for Heaven The most diligent soul is the most thriving soul Always abounding in the work of the Lord instant in season and out of season taking every opportunity for Heaven And what their hand finds to do to do it with all their might this is the way to soul-thriving 1 Cor. 9. 24 25. Heb. 12. 4. Eph. 6. 12. 1 Cor. 11. 23 27. Prov. 31. 15. 18. Eccles 8. 16. Matth. 23. 15. Eccles 9. 10. Thirdly Driving a secret Trade of holiness is soul-thriving Men that have some peculiar art and unknown mystery in their Trade which is not ordinary and common usually get greatest custom and advantage So is it in this heavenly Trade the more men are taken up in the mysteries of Godliness 1 Tim. 3. 16. the more they thrive in Religion There 's a secret in holiness which no stranger intermeddles with Prov. 14. 10. There 's a way within the veil the hidden part in which souls are made to know wisdom Psal 51. 6. Hidden riches of secret places which thriving Christians meet with Isa 45. 3. If you would prosper in Godliness be sure to maintain the secret duties of piety The religion of most men lies in the Market place and in the view of others their hearts their closets are not privy to any secret transactions between God and their souls and in the praise of men they have their reward but the thriving trade of Christianity is the secret trade Christians be most in those duties which men least observe and chiefly excellent in the invisible part of your visible work Publick duties are most honourable but secret duties the most gainful Matth. 6. 4. And thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly Fourthly The blessing of God maketh rich Prov. 10. 22. Promotion cometh not from the East nor from the West nor prosperity from mens fingers ends but from God's hand Deut. 28. 8 10 11 12. The Lord shall command his blessing upon thee in thy store-houses and in all which thou settest thy hand unto The Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods The Lord shall open to thee his good treasures the Heavens to give thee rain to thy Land in his season and to bless all the work of thy hand and then comes riches And thou shalt lend udto many Nations and thou shalt not borrow Prosperity both spiritual and temporal comes at God's sending Psal 118. 25. O Lord I beseech thee send now prosperity Psal 18. 32 33. He restoreth my Soul he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness Psal 23. 3 5. Thou anointest my head with Oil Thou blessest the springing thereof thy paths drop fatness Psal 65. 10 11. The Lord shall guide thee continually and satisfy thy soul in drought and make fat thy bones and thou shalt be like a watred Garden and like a spring of water whose waters fail not Isa 58. 11. I will be as the dew to Israel he shall grow as the Lilly and cast forth his root as Lebanon Hos 14. 5. Secure an interest in the promises and get your souls brought under the showers of blessing if ever you think to thrive in godliness Improve thriving graces and take prosperous courses these are under a promise of blessing though every grace and duty do in their measure help on soul-prosperity yet there are some graces and duties have a more special influence on spiritual thrivings First Faith is a soul-prospering grace 2 Chr. 20. 20. Believe in the Lord your God so shall ye be established believe his Prophets so shall ye prosper Eph. 6. 16. Above all take the shield of Faith wherewith ye shall quench all the fiery darts of Satan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 insuper Bez. Every grace is useful in the spiritual warfare but Faith especially other graces may with Saul slay their thousands but Faith with David slays its ten thousands Some darts may be quenched by other graces but Faith quenches fiery darts yea all the fiery darts of Satan which does wonderfully further thriving The just shall live by Faith Heb. 10. 38. Faith will maintain the soul's life in the greatest straits and exigences Faith is a receiving grace it takes in whatever is laid up in the promise and that 's thriving Gal. 3. 22. That the promise by Faith might be given to them that believe A soul-enriching grace rich in Faith Jam. 2. 5. A working grace And the work of Faith with power 2 Thes 2. 4. A powerful grace it gives the soul experience of the mighty power of God Eph. 1. 19. 20. What is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead 1 Thes 2. 13. 'T is a strengthning grace Out of weakness were made strong Heb. 11. 34. through it doth the Lord let out his abundant grace And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 1. 14. It doth exceedingly nourish the soul in grace and edify it to salvation 1 Tim. 4. 6. Nourished up in the words of Faith 1. Tim. 1 4. Which minister questions rather than edifying which is in Faith One reason why souls prosper no more in piety is their unbelief they are full of doubtings fears and questionings upon every turn still wavering as a wave of the Sea such cannot receive much at the hand of God but are still weak and going back in Religion Be much in believing the promises against hope and above fears if ever you think to prosper in Religion Secondly Love to God his Name ways and interest is a Soul-prospering Grace Let them that love him be as the Sun that goeth forth in his might Judg. 5. 31. They shall prosper that love thee Psal 122. 6. Let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee for thou Lord wilt bless the righteous with favour wilt thou compass him as with a Shield Psal 5. 11 12. Love to God must needs be a prospering Grace because it brings the Soul under the blessing of God and within the compass of his securing Shield Love is a Soul-strengthning and establishing Grace Eph. 3. 17 Being rooted and grounded in Love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set in a firm ground not easily shaken from God or their integrity Love makes a growing Soul Eph. 4. 15 Speaking the truth in love may grow up in him who is the head in all things It helps on edification in Grace ver 16. maketh encrease of the body unto the edifying of it self